DeLauro Helps Kick Off "Love Mom, Not Wal-Mart Campaign"

DeLauro Helps Kick Off "Love Mom, Not Wal-Mart Campaign"

-- Requests Wal-Mart CEO Disclose Wage Statistics for Review--

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (Conn.-3) today joined former Miss America Carolyn Sapp, former Wal-Mart workers, and representatives of the UFCW's WakeupWalmart.com campaign and the AFL-CIO to help kick off the "Love Mom, Not Wal-Mart Campaign" - a national campaign asking Americans to buy their Mother's Day presents anywhere other than Wal-Mart. The campaign is part of a national, grassroots effort to highlight Wal-Mart's record of discriminating against its women workers.

"When it comes to the treatment of its women employees, Wal-Mart's low prices come at a cost," said DeLauro. "With today's ‘Love Mom, Not Wal-Mart' campaign, Americans will learn that Wal-Mart, the largest employer of women in this country, treats its women employees like second-class citizens."

Almost 700,000 women work for Wal-Mart—nearly three-quarters of the company's workforce—and on average they earn higher performance ratings than men and stay with the company longer. Yet women account for only a third of the company's managers - only 15 percent of store managers. In comparable positions, Wal-Mart pays its female hourly workers 40 cents less per hour than their male counterparts, with female managers earning nearly $5,000 per year less than managers who are men.

Wal-Mart was recently found guilty of 21 child labor law violations in DeLauro's home state of Connecticut. The Justice Department is investigating whether one of the company's top executives covertly paid union members a half-million dollars to inform management which of its workers were in favor of forming a union. They are learning that Wal-Mart, the wealthiest company in the world, pays wages so far below the poverty line, its employees rely on welfare assistance to feed their families - Connecticut alone pays more than $5 million a year for the health care of Wal-Mart's employees through Medicaid.

DeLauro asked the crowd to support her in writing Wal-Mart's CEO about the company's treatment of women, requesting that he disclose the company's wage statistics for congressional review. "I believe Wal-Mart owes Congress an explanation as to why it pays women associates less than men and promotes its female workers less frequently than their male counterparts," said DeLauro.

The full text of the letter follows.

Lee Scott, CEO

Walmart

7000 Marina Boulevard

Birsbane, CA 04005

Dear Mr. Scott,

We are writing to bring to your attention an ongoing matter involving Wal-Mart and its policy regarding gender discrimination. As you know, pay inequity is a serious issue in the United States, with women still earning only 76 cents for every dollar that a man earns. That is why it is of great concern to us that Wal-Mart, America's largest employer, does not pay its women the same wage as men for the same work.

A recent analysis of Wal-Mart's own payroll record conducted by Professor Richard Drogin, Professor Emeritus at University of California, Berkeley, showed that Wal-Mart paid its female hourly workers 40 cents less per hour than their male counterparts, with female managers earning nearly $5,000 per year less than managers who were men. In addition, while women comprise 72 percent of your workforce, almost 700,000 overall, women only account for a third of your managers and only 15 percent of your store managers - this, despite the fact that your female employees, on average, earn higher performance ratings than men and turnover less frequently.

In view of this, we would ask Wal-Mart to disclose its wage statistics for congressional review, including any documents submitted to the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In doing so, we seek to further understand why Wal-Mart pays its women associates less than men and promotes its female workers less frequently than their male counterparts.

We welcome your new commitment to begin a national discussion about Wal-Mart's business practices; certainly, as the nation's wealthiest and largest employer and largest company, Wal-Mart has a unique role and responsibility to do the right thing and set the best standard for America. But it remains unacceptable for any employer, much less our nation's largest, to discriminate against its women workers. We would urge you to take a personal interest and active role in resolving this issue as soon as possible.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We look forward to your response.

http://www.house.gov/delauro/press/2005/April/mom_walmart_04_26_05.html